Program Overview
Clinical Training
Fellows provide patient care and consultation for hospitalized and ambulatory patients with infections caused by a wide array of pathogens. Fellows develop expertise in the care of patients with infections related to surgery or trauma, immunosuppression due to transplantation, malignancy, or HIV, and sexually transmitted infections.
During the fellowship, fellows spend about half of their inpatient clinical time at each of the two major UMKC teaching hospitals in adult medicine: University Health Truman Medical Center and Saint Luke’s Hospital. A month of inpatient pediatric infectious diseases is provided at Children’s Mercy Hospital. On all inpatient services, attending rounds are made daily by a member of the faculty with the fellow, residents and students. Under the supervision of faculty members, fellows serve as consultants to the medical service as well as to other services within the medical centers. Fellows also supervise and teach medical residents and medical students assigned to the infectious diseases service. Outpatient experience is obtained in the infectious diseases clinic at University Health Truman Medical Center. Here, fellows evaluate patients referred for outpatient consultation. Continuity of care for HIV-infected patients is also provided at this clinic. To enhance fellows' understanding of clinical microbiology, the first month of the fellowship is spent in the clinical microbiology laboratory learning diagnostic laboratory procedures. Fellows are instructed in currently used diagnostic techniques in bacteriology, virology, mycology, serology and parasitology and have opportunities to perform such procedures.
Year 1
- 8 months adult infectious diseases consult service
- 1 month microbiology laboratories
- 2 months research
- 3 weeks vacation
- 1 week meetings/CME
Year 2
- 8 months adult infectious diseases service
- 1 month pediatric infectious diseases service
- 2 months research
- 3 weeks vacation
- 1 week meetings/CME
Conferences
Clinical Conference
Monthly conference organized by the ID fellows. Fellows present an in-depth review of an infectious diseases topic.
Citywide Infectious Diseases Conference
Monthly clinical conference at which outstanding cases seen by ID physicians throughout the Kansas City area are discussed.
Clinical Microbiology Conference
Monthly review of clinically applicable microbiology topics.
Journal Club
Monthly review of clinically relevant articles in infectious diseases. Both faculty and fellows participate.
Immunocompromised Host Conference
Monthly conference focusing on infections in transplant patients, AIDS and other forms of immunosuppression.
Infectious Diseases Curriculum Conference
Weekly review of assigned topics.
Research Conference
Monthly review of ongoing research by fellows and faculty.
Committees and Courses
Hospital Epidemiology/Infection Control Committee
Fellows are active participants of the hospital epidemiology/infection control committee.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee
Fellows are active members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee at Truman Medical Center. Through their participation, fellows are involved in the development of guidelines and the education of residents and attending staff.
Formal courses
A medical decision making course that emphasizes evidence-based principles and biostatistics is offered to fellows. Fellows are required to complete the IDSA/SHEA Infection Control Fellows Course.
Research
During the first year, fellows become familiar with the research activities of the Infectious Diseases Section through attendance at research seminars and conferences. Fellows select a faculty preceptor and an area of research; the trainee and preceptor develop a research project the trainee can pursue during their fellowship. Trainees generally have four months of research time divided over the two-year fellowship. The process proceeds with the advice and oversight of the program director. The major research interests of the faculty are in the areas of HIV, antimicrobial activity and health resource utilization. Additional basic and clinical research opportunities are available to fellows through collaboration with other departments within the university.